Here’s a straightforward breakdown of the recent court decision involving S. Mani and N.R. Ravikumar, as decided by Justice A.D. Maria Clete at the Madras High Court.
On December 18, 2025, a decision was made about a money disagreement that started way back in 1998. S. Mani, who was the one appealing, was taken to court by N.R. Ravikumar over a signed promise to pay money. The note, dated December 25, 1998, was for ₹1,25,000, with an interest rate of 12% per year.
N.R. Ravikumar said he lent S. Mani money for personal and family expenses, and S. Mani promised to pay it back by signing a note. But, even after being asked many times, S. Mani reportedly didn’t pay back.
S. Mani, however, argued that the note was used in the wrong way. He claimed that the note was part of a joint business venture and that it was used without his permission.
The lower court in Hosur first decided in favor of N.R. Ravikumar on June 16, 2012. This decision was supported by the Principal District Court in Krishnagiri on February 6, 2013. S. Mani then filed another appeal.
Expert Opinion Controversy: The courts talked about an expert's opinion on handwriting, but this wasn't officially part of the evidence. S. Mani's side said this was unfair.
Court’s Stand: Even so, the decision didn’t rely only on the expert's opinion. The decision was mainly based on S. Mani admitting his signature and the testimony of a witness, P.W.2.
Justice A.D. Maria Clete dismissed S. Mani’s appeal on December 18, 2025. The judgment was based on strong evidence supporting N.R. Ravikumar’s claims, including assumptions under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
The court found no major mistakes in the previous judgments, leading to the dismissal of the appeal.
